Echoes in Silence
by Lena108
Summary: AU. In the war-scarred Digital World there is nothing but hurt and turmoil. Digimon and humans alike are killing each other just for a meal, or maybe for some quick cash. Recently, though, the rumor of the Digidestined has resurfaced. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1: An Introduction of Sorts

Echoes in Silence

**By**: Lena108

**Rating**: T (So far. May go up.)

**Summary**: AU. In the war-scarred Digital World there is nothing but hurt and turmoil. Digimon and humans alike are killing each other just for a meal, or maybe for some quick cash. Recently, though, there have been rumors… whispers of an old legend foretelling that the "Digidestined" will band together to save the world and restore it to what it once was—peaceful. But they're just a bunch of kids…

**Author's Note**: This fic is VERY AU. I was hesitant to post it because of how AU it is, but I'm giving it a shot. First, I'd like it to be known that no one's character will be sacrificed for the sake of making this AU. They will all be very much in character to the best of my ability. That being said, few of the kids know each other at all. It's set in the Digital World where the kids were all born there and people and Digimon coexist, so the Digidestined already have their Digimon partners, but they just figure they were lucky to see one being born. Here, there are two kings who rule together – a Digimon and a human. Most of the kids live in poverty, but Mimi is the princess, Ken is well-off because he helps the kings with technical problems and Cody's grandfather is the kendo master, thus enabling him to feed the family. Everything else will be explained in the narrative, but think of it like the beginning of the series where we know nothing of the kids.

It's technically set in the time period of 02, where Tai and most of the original Digidestined are in high school, but that is just in age during this fic. As for things like pairings and whatnot, there will be a few, but that is not the main focus of the story. This is far from a romance fic and the kids aren't going to really be worrying about things like that for the majority of the story.

**_Prologue_:**_ An Introduction of Sorts_

"Let's go save the world."

That's a pretty bold statement, considering how life is right now. I never dreamed that I would be the one saying such a thing. In fact, it would have been stupid in any other circumstance to expect that I _could_ say that reasonably... you know, and not be laughed at. I mean, this world would be pretty hard to save, considering, you know? I should probably start at the beginning so you know what happened leading up to this. I guess I'll start with my name.

I'm Taichi Kamiya, but you can call me Tai. I live with my sister Kari in a… well, I call it a box. Kari prefers to call it a 'shack'. She says it sounds more pleasant. I don't know if I agree. Anyway, this whole mess started on a day when the sun was actually shining through the smog. It was a good day, to be honest. We had some leftover food from the night before, so we were able to have lunch. I could even feed Agumon, but not to where he was full. We could never do that. At least Gatomon and Kari don't eat as much as we do. We're not too bad off because mom and dad were both able to find two jobs, they're just never home, that's all. So it's pretty much just me and Kari throughout the day since Gatomon and Agumon like to go out and try to help too.

We're not the only ones, though, there's Yamato Ishida, but he likes to be called Matt. He would be cool if he weren't such a jerk. I know we've got some food, but that's no reason to be bitter. I'd share if he asked, really. Anyway, we've had a couple of problems in the past, but I won't fight him like he keeps insisting. Okay, okay, so I threw a couple punches. I made them good though! He had it coming then. I try to avoid him… for Kari's sake. Gabumon never tried to fight Agumon, which I thought was pretty strange. Maybe he's nicer than Matt is, but I wouldn't expect it. He's always at Matt's side no matter what. I've seen him fight his battles and Gabumon is a pretty tough Digimon. I don't know what Matt's dad does, really. He's never home, but I don't know if he's got a job. It would make sense that it's why Matt is the way he is. I'd bet my goggles that jerk will end up dead in the street some day. Not that I want that to happen, but he's pretty hot headed.

Then there was Sora Takenouchi. Her mom runs a flower shop, but they don't get much business that way. Sora's main source of revenue is through renting out the building to tenants for really cheap. I think Biyomon does a lot of the room service with Sora because they clean that place up pretty quickly. I can't afford it, but some Digimon can. Sora doesn't really get along with her mom all that much, which is sad. I think they should work together and they might sell flowers and apartments! Anyway, Sora's dad is off in some distant land seeking his fortune I think. At least, I think that's what she said. I only met Sora recently because we went to the park at the same time and kicked around a soccer ball, but I know she's a great person, which is really rare nowadays. She's pretty cool.

Koushiro Izumi is the neighborhood's whiz kid. No one really knows how he managed to snag a computer, but he did. He got us all electricity so we can see in the dark. Tentomon calls him Izzy, so we've all kind of taken to calling him that. It's got a ring to it anyway. It's really Izzy that's keeping his family alive. His parents are both kind of timid, so neither of them have jobs, but Izzy manages to come up with some plans to keep them alive somehow. I wish he'd talk to my parents about his schemes, maybe we'd get more food that way!

Mimi Tachikawa is the country's princess. She's a spoiled brat if I've ever seen one. She's never even been out of her pretty palace garden, with its high walls blocking her view of the world. I don't even think Palmon knows what's going on, which makes her pretty perfect for Mimi. Some people say her daddy won't let her leave, others say it's her choice because she doesn't want to know the trouble that the world is in. Either way, I've never really wanted to meet her. She'd probably just call us all gross and get back into her carriage and drive away. How selfish can you get?

Jyou Kido, affectionately dubbed Joe by his brother and Gomamon, is working to become a doctor. No, I don't get it either. Doctors have to go through medical school, which costs a lot of money that they don't have. Plus, Joe's got some medical problems of his own. He should probably see a doctor before he becomes one, but he can't do that either. It's kind of unfortunate because his allergies get really bad in the spring. At least it was winter when this all started.

Then there's Takeru, Matt's little brother, who we just all called TK for short. He wasn't nearly as bad as Matt, but I'd never seen his temper. Maybe I never will. He manages to smile all the time, which is really weird because his mom isn't really the greatest, or so I hear. She divorced Matt's dad way back when, despite a whole bunch of financial problems it caused. I don't know how much she cared about that because it seemed like she just wanted to get away from the guy. I don't know much about that part of the family, but I know that TK and Patamon aren't home very often either. I don't really know what they're doing, but I've seen them around. Kari mentioned him a couple times, but I don't remember what she said. The times he's not out there's really no movement in the house, every day I walk by and wonder if he's died, but I think he just holes up in the house and just keeps still or something. Maybe he's reading, but not a lot of people do that nowadays. Weird kid, really.

Davis lives right down the street with his family. They're a nice bunch in my opinion, though his sister's a bit annoying. It's always 'Matt's this' and 'Matt's so that' and 'Why can't all boys be like Matt?' Yeah, weird. If she likes the crazy sort that's her problem. Davis is cool, though. Kari says he looks up to me. Cute. Anyway, his parents run a little restaurant that not many people go into. It's too expensive for most of us, but when they get leftovers from the day and can't eat it all, we get some. Veemon usually eats up most of their food though. _That_ is a well fed Digimon. Davis gets pretty weird around Kari, though. I think he has a crush on her. I don't think she likes him like that, though. Kari's pretty oblivious to the boy thing, but I'm not complaining.

I never knew what to think about Miyako. She lives in the same building as TK and I keep hearing him call her Yolie. She's kind of loud, but seems nice enough. I don't really know her since we've never talked, I just know who she is. Who could miss that hair of hers? She's got a bunch of brothers and sisters, which probably makes life a little rough, but that's their problem. Hawkmon seems happy enough, but he can't get too much food with all those mouths to feed, but he's not a skinny Digimon. Maybe he gets the first helping.

Cody is a weird kid, for sure. I never know what that boy is thinking. I've said hi to him to be friendly, but he just nods his head. Maybe he's all stuck up because he gets a nicer house than the rest of us. His grandfather is some kendo master or something like that, I think. Anyway, the man goes to the palace a whole lot and brings back a bunch of money to his family. I admit that I'm pretty envious, especially looking at Armadillomon, who looks pretty healthy to me. Either way, Cody doesn't talk much, but I think he might just be shy. Or shy and stuck up. Bad combination, really.

Ken… I don't know what to say about Ken. I don't really know him. He's that one who goes to the palace to fix up the king's kitchen or something. I hear he's a genius, but I don't care. Genius can go pay his own bills. I don't even think his parents have to work. He's kind of snooty too. Doesn't really talk to anybody and keeps to himself. I don't think he wants to make friends, because then he'd have to share food and money with them. Wormmon is pretty cool, but he hangs around with Ken, so he can't be all that great.

Finally, there's my little sister Hikari, or just plain Kari, whatever. She's a great kid and really likes to help out. She does get sick sometimes, but we scrape together to get doctors for her. Joe even helped out once, which was pretty nice. Kari seems to draw people in with how nice she is, even Gatomon acts like a sweet cat around her, but we all know what she can do to a Digimon that's in between her and her next meal. I don't really know how she does it, but she's never been selfish. I even get a helping before her at dinner even when she's sick. Of course I say no, but she always insists. She's a strange kid, but she's my little sister and it's my job to look out for her no matter what and that's what I'm going to do!

I guess I don't really know my neighbors as well as I think I do. Either way, there's a lot of different people, but we all want the same thing, even though it doesn't seem that way with some people, I'm sure. I never really thought I'd be talking to these guys, let alone trying to make friends with them. The Digimon seem to get along better than we do anyway. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from them. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what we can do, but I don't know. We're just a bunch of kids…

END PROLOGUE

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! I'd love to hear your feedback. The first actual chapter should be up soon. This will be the only one in first person, so the rest will all be third person narrative. Next chapter will be up soon! I hope you all enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2: City Lights

Echoes in Silence

**By**: Lena108

**Rating**: T (So far. May go up.)

**Summary**: AU. In the war-scarred Digital World there is nothing but hurt and turmoil. Digimon and humans alike are killing each other just for a meal, or maybe for some quick cash. Recently, though, there have been rumors… whispers of an old legend foretelling that the "Digidestined" will band together to save the world and restore it to what it once was—peaceful. But they're just a bunch of kids…

**Author's Note**: Chapter one is now up! From now on, it will be a third person narrative. There may be one or two interludes that are in first person, but the narrative will make up most of the story. I hope you all enjoy!

_**Chapter 1**__: City Lights_

Peaceful was not a way to describe the Digital World. It wasn't always that way, but recently, one couldn't even go outside without being mugged or even killed. It depended on how stubborn that person was to give up money or food. Digimon and humans alike competed for what little resources were left in the world. The Digimon usually won, due to strength and attack power. Because of that, humans had a difficult time managing to stay alive for very long. Only those with Digimon partners were able to keep themselves relatively well fed. On this particular day, however, Matt and TK had left Gabumon and Patamon at home, resulting in a not so pleasant encounter.

"Come on, TK! Run!" Matt yelled over his shoulder. TK, who seemed to be lagging behind a little bit, was dangerously within range of Ogremon's club. Matt grabbed his little brother's hand and pulled him out of the danger zone just as the weapon came down where he had just been. Ogremon seemed dazed and confused for a moment, wondering how he missed, giving the two humans a chance to get ahead quite a bit. As they rounded a corner and neared an abandoned factory, Matt pulled TK in between the factory and the old bakery. They pressed themselves against the wall and kept still as Ogremon ran past them, shouting about how he would get back that money they stole.

They waited for a long moment, both motionless before they breathed a sigh of relief. TK glanced over at his brother, scowling slightly.

"That was a close one, Matt," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Matt told him. "We got away, didn't we? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," TK told him, crossing his arms. "Next time, let's steal from a smaller Digimon. Or at least something that's not going to crush us into dust if we're caught."

"I've never been caught…" Matt started.

"Until now," TK reminded him. "Just be careful, all right? I don't want to have to sweep you up off the sidewalk."

"Yeah, whatever," Matt sighed and slumped down against the wall. "Why don't we split it and call it a day?"

"Sounds good to me," TK agreed, deciding not to argue with his older brother anymore. "This should be enough to last us a couple days."

"At least we have money for food," Matt started.

"Yeah. Because you stole it." Matt and TK both looked up quickly, spotting Tai on top of a pile of rubble. Matt groaned and stood, keeping his eyes on his rival.

"TK. Go home," he ordered.

"Wha—?" he started. "But… Matt!"

"I said go," he told him. TK frowned at him, but did as he was told, walking back out of the alley and around the corner where he disappeared from sight. Once neither could see him anymore, Matt glanced back up at Tai, who had come down off the pile of rubble and was standing at eye level with Matt.

"Well?" Tai asked, keeping on his guard around the other boy.

"Look, Tai," Matt said, clenching his fists. "I don't want to fight you today. I have more important things to take care of right now."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Tai demanded. "Stealing from Digimon who actually _made_ their money?"

"Just because your parents are monopolizing the job market doesn't mean we all are!" Matt shouted.

"What did you say!?" Tai demanded, clenching his fists again, looking as though he were ready to punch the other boy no matter what the next word out of his mouth was.

"You heard me," Matt snapped. "Besides, I'd like to be able to feed my best friend, all right?"

Tai hesitated for a moment, glaring at the blond before finally lowering his fists once more, taking the chance to glance away from Matt to the floor. As he finally let his guard down, Matt did as well. The two stood in silence for a few moments, each lost within his own thoughts.

"Yeah, all right," he said. "Gabumon's sick, huh?" Matt closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I don't know what's wrong with him, but the least I can do is get him something to eat." He looked up again. "And what about you, tough guy? Where's _your_ Digimon?"

"He's taking care of Kari for me," Tai told him, walking past him toward the street. Matt watched him, frowning. Tai half expected him to ask what was wrong with Kari, though he probably shouldn't have. It wasn't as though Matt really cared or anything.

"What are you doing around here?" he asked instead, changing the subject completely. Tai turned his head to look at him and shrugged his shoulders, grinning a little bit.

"Have you heard that rumor?" he asked. Matt lifted an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Guess not… the one about the Digidestined or something. I hear there's this old legend wehre a bunch of kids are supposed to save the world when it gets in pretty bad shape."

"What? You think you're going to find them around here?" Matt almost laughed, though he didn't really seem all that amused. "Fat chance, Tai. Who around here is going to save the world for anything but their own gain?"

"You never know, Matt!" Tai protested. "Not everyone around here is like you!"

"Oh, low blow, man. I'm hurt," Matt said, though definitely not sounding very hurt at all. "I'm out of here. Gabumon needs me, so I don't need to be wasting my time with you."

"Wait, Matt!" Tai called. "I can help if you need it! I can go get…"

"You? Help?" Matt asked, actually laughing this time. Again, however, he did not seem amused. He passed Tai and headed toward the street. He lifted his hand as a farewell as he walked away. "Later."

Tai let out a frustrated sound resembling a growl as Matt walked away. _Typical_. That guy always wanted a fight, then the one day Tai had the upper hand, he didn't want to. He'd been ready for him too. Tai finally lowered his clenched fists, having not realized that he'd lifted them again. He sighed softly to himself, thinking on the encounter. Maybe that was for the best. Less fighting was always best anyway. He had to get home to Kari too. He turned around, but stopped, spotting TK near the end of the alley, who had just emerged from his hiding spot.

"I thought Matt told you to go home," Tai told him, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"He did," TK said. "I didn't want to go yet." He approached Tai slowly.

'_Oh, great. He probably wants a fight.'_ Tai frowned deeply. "Look, TK…"

"Why are you always fighting with Matt?" he asked, almost innocently. Tai tilted his head, frowning, shocked that TK had asked him that.

"Wha—?"

"You guys are always fighting," TK reminded him. "Why are you always fighting each other?"

"Oh, well…" Tai rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. He wasn't sure what to say, really. If Matt hadn't told his little brother why they were fighting, Tai didn't think it was his place to either. It would have been great to make Matt seem like the bad guy in front of his brother, but Tai thought better of that, not wanting more conflict with Matt than he already seemed to have. "I don't like fighting with him. It's just kind of…"

"I didn't ask you if you liked it or not. I asked you why," TK sighed, the innocence still seeming to be there in his words. "But you're right. I don't like it either." He turned around, just as Matt had and walked away, deciding not to wait for his answer. He was probably heading home because it was starting to get dark. Tai frowned at his back and walked the opposite direction, pausing to glance back where TK had been standing, frowning still.

"What a weird family…"

--

The door slid open and two people walked into the dimly lit room, followed by two Digimon. One of the humans approached a vacant bed that was pushed up against the wall in the corner of the room and placed an injured Numemon gently down onto the neatly smoothed down sheets while the other human slid the door shut again. She approached the bed as well and lowed down at the Numemon, then back up at the other human.

"Is he going to be all right, Joe?" Sora asked him, seeming worried. Joe glanced over at her and smiled.

"Yeah, he'll be fine," he said. "All he needs is some bed rest and a nice big bandage. Oh, and no fighting or digivolving for a while. He shouldn't risk an infection." The Numemon looked up at him.

"Whaaaat?" it demanded. "But how am I supposed to get any food?"

"Relax, silly," Sora said, bending down and smiling at him. "We can keep you fed in here until you're fit to go back home. Okay?"

"Oh, okay," it smiled as well and rested down against the soft bed, seeming grateful for the treatment. Sora giggled softly and stood up to face Joe.

"So all we need to do is bandage him up, right?" she asked him.

"That's it," Joe said, seeming relieved. "You know, when you said injured Numemon, I was worried we'd be letting this one… you know."

"Yeah," Sora said sadly, looking down. "I know what you mean. It's nice to find some that we can help." She smiled up at him again.

"He sure is a lucky one," Biyomon commented. Gomamon glanced at her and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right!" he said to the Numemon. "If Joe and Sora hadn't been here you might've been a goner!"

"Now don't scare him, Gomamon," Joe scolded. "He's had enough for one day."

"Aw. I'm just trying to make him appreciate you, Joe," he said, glancing back at his human partner. Sora watched the interaction and laughed a little bit.

"I'll go make him some soup." With that, Sora left the room so that Joe could finish helping the Numemon. Biyomon followed Sora out of the room and waited to speak until the door was softly shut.

"This is sure nice of you and Joe, Sora," Biyomon commented. Sora glanced down at her Digimon and grinned a little bit.

"It's the most we can do, Biyomon," Sora told her. "I want to help any Digimon I can. I'm just glad that Joe's decided to help me help them."

"I must be the luckiest Digimon in the Digital World!" Biyomon said, excitedly. Sora would have commented, but the door leading outside opened and another human entered, shutting it behind him. Sora turned around, recognizing the person immediately.

"Matt," she said, approaching him quickly. "I've been worried about you!"

"Don't be," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "Here. I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He took her hand and placed the pouch in her palm. "That should help feed that Numemon you just brought in."

"Where did you…"

"I saw you heading to Joe's house with him," he told her. "I would have said hi, but TK and I had an angry Ogremon on our tails."

"Matt!" Sora said incredulously. "Don't take things from Digimon who are bigger than you!"

"I'm fine, okay?" he said. "Just because I don't live with my mom doesn't mean you need to start acting like one."

"I just worry about you. You don't need to do this for me," she told him, looking down at the pouch in her hands.

"I want to, though," he said, frowning at her. "I know that you use it to help people and Digimon who need it more than I do. It's for a good cause." Sora looked up at him and he could have sworn she was getting slightly teary eyed, but she wiped it away with her sleeve quickly.

"Thanks, Matt," she said. "We'll definitely need this now that Numemon will be staying with us for a little while."

"Yeah! We'll need it!" Biyomon said, using her wings to rise to the human's level. "Hey, Sora. Matt should stay for dinner!"

"What?"

"You know," she went on. "To thank him for helping with Numemon and everything."

"Oh, right," Sora turned back to Matt and smiled. "Matt? Would you like to stay for dinner?" He smiled at her apologetically.

"I wish I could," he told her. "But my dad will be home tonight, so I should go cook him dinner. You know he's hopeless without me. No use spending extra money on that soup shop down the street."

"Oh, right," Sora nodded her head. "Have fun, then. Thanks again, Matt."

"Hey, anytime," he told her. The door to the room opened and Joe emerged with Gomamon at his heels.

"Oh, Matt," he said pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I was just leaving," he told him. "Hey, Gomamon."

"Hiya, Matt!" Gomamon said cheerfully, though it was difficult to understand as he carried a roll of bandages in his mouth. He frowned and dropped it on the floor before going on. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Just taking care of a few things," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Ah… you guys heard about that rumor going around?" He hated to admit it, but Tai had piqued his curiosity about that Digidestined legend. It was a long shot, and of course he didn't believe it, but he wanted to know if they'd heard of it too.

"Rumor?" Joe asked, tilting his head, looking hesitant to discuss this topic. "I'm allergic to gossip. It gives me hives."

"I haven't heard anything about it," Sora admitted. "What rumor?"

"You mean the legend about the Digidestined?" Biyomon asked.

"And how they're going to save the world real soon?" Gomamon added, looking excited that Matt had brought up this topic. Matt smiled down at him, glad he'd heard about it too.

"Yeah, that one," he said. "I heard from… a Gotsumon that it'll be coming true pretty soon. What do you guys think?"

"I don't know about that," Sora said, putting a hand to her cheek, looking both curious and distressed. "What's this legend supposed to be about?"

"Only that the Digidestined will band together and save the world from evil Digimon!" Biyomon said excitedly.

"I wonder who they are," Gomamon said. The two of them seemed very engrossed in their conversation and didn't seem to notice the humans were even there. "Do you think it's someone we know?"

"I hope so!" Biyomon said, flapping her wings excitedly.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up," Joe said. Both Digimon glanced up at him, as did Matt and Sora.

"Why not, Joe?" Gomamon asked, looking crestfallen.

"Well, in my experience, if something seems like it's going to go right, it usually doesn't," he sighed. "It's a fact of life, so I wouldn't believe in silly rumors."

"Oh, come on, Joe," Sora said, smiling slightly at how pessimistic he was being. "Maybe it'll come true this time. I really hope it does."

"Yeah…" Matt said, smiling slightly, glancing between the two of them. "Hey maybe you guys are…" Though he cut off abruptly as the lights suddenly came on. Sora smiled, her eyes seeming to light up as well.

"Oh! It looks like Izzy's got things going again," Joe said, glancing up at the lights. "It's nice to have electricity sometimes. Now I can see what I'm studying tonight."

"Do you ever stop studying, Joe?" Matt asked him, tilting his head slightly.

"Nope!" Gomamon answered before Joe could say anything on the subject. "All day and all night! He doesn't need to eat or sleep or use the little boy's room!"

"Oh, come on, Gomamon. That's an exaggeration," he said, frowning down at his Digimon. "I just hold it for a little while longer…" Sora laughed a little bit as Gomamon made a face up at him. "What? I get more studying done in a session that way! Don't look at me like that!"

Matt sighed and shook his head, moving silently toward the door. He wanted to get home to Gabumon. He needed food, he knew that much. Maybe his dad would be home by then too. That would be nice.

--

"Prodigious! We're back online!" Izzy said as the lights came on. Tentomon squinted slightly and used a claw to cover his eyes briefly before regarding his human partner with slight annoyance, yet admiration for managing to get the lights back up before his laptop died. Izzy always managed to surprise him, even if the surprises were occasionally unpleasant. Lights were good, though, especially since it was dusk and darkness would be approaching rather quickly.

"That's great, Izzy, but could I get a warning before you turn the lights on next time? Ouch." Izzy turned toward his friend and smiled.

"Sorry, Tentomon," he said. "I wasn't really sure if it would work or not, so I just tried it. I'm glad it did work, though. I'm almost out of battery." He took that moment to crawl over to an outlet and plug his laptop in. The screen immediately became brighter than it had been before, signaling that it had, indeed, been plugged in and was receiving electricity. Izzy sat back down at the computer, rather pleased with himself. "Now hopefully nobody at the palace will notice. At least until morning."

"Izzy," Tentomon said tentatively. "I know we've talked about this before, but should we really be stealing energy from the palace? Won't they notice when their lights go out?"

"They're probably all sleeping in comfy beds already anyway," Izzy told him, glancing toward his window slightly. He had the fortune (or misfortune, depending on who you talked to) of being able to see the palace from his window. It was a lovely sight, really, but Izzy rarely paid attention to such things. He spent more time focusing on the programs he was trying to perfect to get electricity all throughout the city. He only had the major downtown area figured out by now, so there were still some major sectors he hadn't covered yet.

"Oh, yes," Tentomon said, sarcastically. "Because the royals like to sleep at five in the evening. They're probably eating dinner."

"Besides, I've already checked," Izzy went on, ignoring his partner. "The royals have enough electricity to go around. I'm just routing some of it through the city so that we get some too. It's not exactly stealing."

"Yes, it's borrowing without asking," Tentomon informed him. "Which, by definition, is stealing. It's not like you intend to give it back."

"I'm just taking it for the evening," he explained to his partner.

"But won't they notice if the lights go out at dinner?" Tentomon asked, nervously glancing out the window at the palace.

"They'll probably be too busy with their feast to notice the lights dimming," Izzy shrugged it off.

"Wouldn't it be nice to eat dinner at the palace?" Tentomon asked, intent on changing the subject. It wasn't as though Izzy would agree with him on any points. "With cake and pudding and…"

"Are you done yet?" Izzy asked, having turned back to his computer. "You're making me hungry. Mom and dad haven't come back yet."

"But when?" Tentomon implored him, tugging at his shirt. "I'm hungry." As if one cue, his stomach rumbled rather loudly. Izzy glanced at him, sighing softly, looking apologetic.

"Hang in there, Tentomon," Izzy told him. "They'll be back soon enough with plenty of food for all of us."

"I can't hang in there," he said, his stomach growling once again. "I'll wither away into nothing. I'll collapse and I won't be able to Digivolve. I'll _de_-Digivolve!"

"Don't be such a drama queen," Izzy told him, not once looking over at him. "It'll be here soon."

"Isn't there anything in the house we could eat?"

"Hold on! Give me a nanosecond and I'll be done," Izzy told him, only glancing over slightly, not really looking at the Digimon.

"Izzy," Tentomon said, patiently. "What are you doing that's so important that it can't wait until after we've worried about food?"

"I'm researching the Digidestined online," he told him. Tentomon tilted his head to the side and flew up off the ground slightly to glance over Izzy's shoulder.

"Oh, that old rumor," Tentomon sighed. "You can't be reading anything recent."

"On the contrary!" Izzy said, grinning. "There's lots of pages up about this topic. Some were even updated today. It seems to be a pretty popular subject lately, since things have gotten so bad so quickly. I wonder if any of this is true…"

"Really?" Tentomon asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, finally reading part of the page Izzy had open. "You don't believe all this mumbo jumbo, do you?"

"I really don't know, Tentomon. It may be just a glorified legend used to bring people hope," Izzy said, not as resigned as Tentomon would have liked, that was for sure. He figured this was the topic that Izzy would be stuck on for weeks while the electricity went out. Then they'd have to scramble to get it back up again, just like today. "Then again…"

"Come on, Izzy," Tentomon sighed, lowering himself to the ground once again. He was quite fed up with this rumor already, and Izzy had only mentioned it a moment ago. He wasn't one for false hope. Then again, neither was Izzy. Tentomon had to wonder why he was so interested in the subject. "Why is the legend so popular lately?"

"I don't know," Izzy stated, clicking on another link to examine the page he'd discovered. "It may have something to do with the fact that things are getting worse around here. If anything, it'll give people comfort if they think someone's out there trying to make things better. Even if it's not the Digidestined, thinking that it is will give people just the right amount of encouragement to try and survive a little longer because they believe things will get better. I'm not entirely sold yet. I'll need to do some more research on the subject.

"I wish your parents would come home…" Tentomon groaned, purposely changing the subject. Izzy was liable to go on like this all night if anybody let him, and that would mean neither of them would eat. "I'm starving!"

--

Izzy's parents were, in fact, just leaving the shop with their food in bags. Veemon had been ordered to escort the couple back to their home with the food, as neither of them had Digimon partners. Veemon, who hadn't been out of the shop all day, seemed only happy to obliged. He jumped between them and offered to lead the way, marching them out of the house while the woman giggled slightly. As they left, Davis sighed softly.

"Last customer of the day," he said, slumping down into a chair behind the counter. "And plenty of food left for dinner!" He perked up at that thought and reached out for some of it. The bell jingled slightly and he groaned. "Hey. The store's closed!"

"Oh, should I come back later, then?" a soft voice asked him. Davis glanced up quickly, his attitude changing immediately.

"I said shop!" he said, trying to find a way around this one. "You're always welcome in our home, though, Kari!"

"Oh, good," she smiled. "I was beginning to feel unwelcome here." A muffled sound came from inside her bag before Davis could speak. He paused and stared at the bag for a moment.

"Hey!" it shouted, making Davis jump back slightly. "It's time to let the cat out of the bag! Come on, Kari! Hey! Why are Tai's socks in here!?"

"Oops! Sorry, Gatomon," she said, opening the bag and giving her friend some fresh air.

"Next time, you get to ride in the bag," Gatomon told her, sitting on Kari's lap and slumping over the table.

"You're sick," Kari reminded her. "I couldn't let you out so you could get into a fight."

"You're sick too," Gatomon said defensively. "Tai told us to stay home anyway. That's probably why he put his socks in there…" Her ears went down as she glared at the door.

"I'm fine," Kari told her. "Don't worry about it, Gatomon. I feel fine right now."

"But you should rest anyway, Kari!" Davis demanded, looking almost too excited for this to be anything but a bad idea. Gatomon and Kari glanced at each other, both seeming equally worried about how this would turn out. "You can go into the back. Or up to the house. My parents won't mind."

"Thanks, but I'm all right, Davis," she told him with a smile. "Don't you want me to stay here and keep you company?"

"Oh, right! Well, if you're feeling all right!" Davis grinned sheepishly. He paused for a second and looked around. "Hey, where's Agumon?" Kari and Gatomon glanced at each other, both looking rather guilty.

"He's at home," Kari informed him. "I know Tai told him to watch us, but he fell asleep and I was tired of sitting at home doing nothing. We left him a note…"

The bell on the door rang and Davis groaned. "No more customers! We're closed!" He said, glancing around Kari to see who it was.

"Then I'll just take my sister and go home," Tai said, approaching the table where Kari was sitting.

"Uh oh…" Kari looked up at her brother and smiled at him. Gatomon's ears fell and she looked down.

"Caught… like a mouse in a trap," she muttered. Maybe they should have just stayed home. She was starting to feel a little sick again anyhow.

"Kari, what are you doing here? You know you're sick and it's my responsibility to get you well again," Tai told her. "And I can't make sure you get well again if you leave the house where you're supposed to get well." He paused and looked around, frowning. "Where's Agumon?"

"Er… he's asleep," Kari muttered, standing up. "I'm sorry, Tai. I'm feeling better now." Tai sighed and sat down next to her, ignoring the fact that Davis still seemed to be listening in on their conversation.

"It's all right, Kari," he told her. "We should probably head home, though. I don't want Agumon to think he lost you two." Kari giggled a little bit as Tai grinned.

"I left him a note," she informed him. "But you're right. I hope he isn't worrying about us." They stood up and Davis frowned.

"Hey! Why don't you at least stay for dinner? I can give you guys something," he offered. Kari glanced back at Tai, who shook his head.

"Sorry, Davis," he told him. "Maybe some other time. We've got some leftovers from last time we were here, so I think we're good for tonight."

"Oh, Tai," Kari glanced up at him. "How's your search for those Digidestined going?" Davis perked up a little bit, slightly curious.

"Not so great," he told her. "No trace of them anywhere. Even if I did find them, how am I supposed to know who they are?"

"Maybe they're already out saving the world or something," Davis suggested, leaning on the counter. "I'd love to be able to go out and play hero!" He closed his eyes, imagining a cool costume and the strongest Digimon he could. "Veemon and I could save the beautiful damsel in distress… oh, and the rest of the world too. We'd be super famous for being so awesome!"

"Earth to Davis," Tai said, bringing him back to reality, almost positive that said 'damsel' was his younger sister. "I think we'd know by now if you were a Digidestined. You can't keep any secrets."

"Aw, man," Davis pouted a little bit. "I can dream, can't I?" Kari giggled and headed toward the door with her brother.

"I'll see you later, Davis," she called. Gatomon headed out the door with her after waving goodbye. As the door shut, Davis sighed and let his head droop down, hitting the counter.

"Aw, man. Why can't I be a Digidestined?" he muttered to himself. "Kari would totally dig me if I were the big hero or something…" Just then the bell rang and Davis lifted his head, frowning up at the customer. "We're _closed_!"

"I know that," Veemon told him, shutting the door behind him, finally locking it. "Yeesh, Davis. You don't have to yell at me."

"Sorry, buddy," Davis sighed, resting his head on the counter.

"…you're not going to sleep on rotting fish all night, are you, Davis?" Veemon asked, tilting his head. Davis jumped up slightly and groaned, seeing that his pillow had, indeed, been some fish left out on the counter.

"Aw, man! I just washed my hair yesterday too!"

--

The sound of the kendo stick swooping through the air was all that could be heard in the house for quite some time, despite the fact that three people and two Digimon were currently there. Occasionally, Cody would grunt a little bit, tired from practicing, but he wasn't about to stop. On the floor, Yolie sat with Hawkmon and Armadillomon, the latter watching Cody intently. Yolie, however, was quite fed up with all of this.

"Ugh, come on, Cody!" she whined. "When are you going to stop this so you can tell me what you needed to tell me and I can go home?"

"Huh?" Cody paused and glanced at her. "Oh, sorry. I guess I got a little carried away." He lowered the kendo stick and sat down on the floor next to Armadillomon, who smiled over at him.

"You're going to be just as good as your grandfather someday, Cody," he told him. Cody flushed and glanced over at his Digimon partner with a smile.

"You really think so, Armadillomon?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"I know so," the Digimon answered, returning the smile.

"Yeah, yeah. We all know that, but what about me? Why am I here?" Yolie demanded. Hawkmon glanced between her and Cody and sighed. He was rather accustomed to Yolie's behavior when she became cranky and figured that it would be best for all involved if she got the information she came here for.

"You may as well inform her of your reasons for calling her, Cody," he said to the boy. "She may never finish complaining otherwise."

"Sorry," Cody said, truly apologetic. "I wanted to know… have you heard those rumors?" Yolie stared at him for a moment, seeming confused.

"Rumors?" she asked him, tilting her head. "Gee, Cody. I didn't know you were into gossip. I don't know any good ones lately… I think that something happened the other day with TK and…"

"That's not what I meant," Cody sighed. "I mean about the old legend. How everyone thinks the Digidestined are going to come and save our world?"

"Oh. That rumor." Yolie shook her head. "I don't know, Cody. That rumor isn't as interesting, but I've heard a little bit about it. TK said people were talking about it today, and not just idle chatter. Like really discussing it at length."

"Yeah, that's what I've heard," Cody nodded his head, glancing over at Hawkmon and Armadillomon, who were both listening closely, it seemed. "I was just curious. Because if it's true, things might turn around for us. Grandpa wouldn't have to be gone all the time and people would stop stealing food and money from other people."

"You really think the Digidestined can get people to stop stealing?" Yolie asked hopefully.

"Well, I think at least Digimon and humans would stop killing each other," Cody said with a small smile. "I think that would be nice." He glanced out the window, sighing softly. "And grandpa could stay home more often…" Yolie seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"I hope at least one of them is cute!" she gushed. Cody could have sworn that there were hearts in her eyes. When she was interested in a boy there was no stopping her. It was almost obsessive really. "Maybe one who's big and strong… he can sweep me off my feet and we can ride away in the sunset together…"

"Earth to Yolie," Hawkmon said, interrupting her thoughts. "They may not be anything like that at all."

Yolie let out a growl and glared at the offender. "Go on and crush my dreams, won't you?" she snapped. "Who know? One of them _might_ be cute! They _all_ could be cute!"

"I think that's a lovely thought, but very wishful thinking," Hawkmon informed her.

"He's right," Cody agreed. "They could all be old and creepy…" Yolie's face fell.

"Ewww! Cody, don't talk like that!" she demanded of him. "My hero has to be strong and handsome, hopefully with great hair…"

"I think maybe it's best to let her dream," Armadillomon suggested. "Less people seem to get hurt this way." Cody sighed and brought his knees up to his chest.

"Well, I don't care what any of them look like," he said to no one in particular. "As long as they can make sure we have enough money so grandpa can teach out of the house. I don't want him to be gone all the time." Yolie paused and glanced over at Cody, sighing softly.

"I'm sure they'll at least do that," she told him. "I mean… even if none of them are cute, they can make sure your grandpa stays home more often. That way at least one of us will be happy, right?" Cody glanced up at her and smiled a little.

"Right," he said. "And if they're not cute… I'm sure you'll find someone better looking."

"This is all assuming they even exist, of course," Hawkmon dared to venture. "I certainly hope they do, though."

"Yeah, wouldn't that be great?" Armadillomon asked the other Digimon. "Then we could all be happy and no one would go hungry. All the Digimon and people would be nice to each other again."

"That would be wonderful, indeed," Hawkmon agreed. All four occupants of the room became lost in their own thoughts, imagining what the Digidestined would be like and how they would be able to help everyone. It wasn't a long time before anyone spoke again, but it certainly felt like it from Yolie's point of view.

"Come on. I think your mom could use help with dinner." She stood and offered her hand to Cody, who glanced up at her as she broke his train of thought. "Besides, these two look starved." Cody paused and glanced at her hand before taking it and letting her help him up.

"You're right," he said, setting his kendo stick down. "Come on, guys. I'll be if we imagine it's food that the Digidestined gave us, it'll taste better!"

"All right!" Yolie grinned. "Maybe this way, I won't mind eating brussel sprouts." The four of them laughed, but Cody paused, allowing the other three to leave the room. He glanced back at the window once more, wondering how his grandfather was doing at the palace and wondering if maybe he would be allowed to come home soon.

--

The boy bowed his head after being dismissed, letting his hair fall down into his face briefly before standing up once again. Pretending to be the princess' 'friend' was not necessarily tiresome work, but it did take a lot out of him. Her tastes certainly did not suit his palate, so it was more a chore than anything. Still, it managed to pay a great sum of money, so he would do it as long as it was worth it. He had to wonder how long it would take the princess to tire of him, but she hadn't yet, which was essentially a good sign.

"That will be all, Ken," she said, waving her hand. "I will see you in a couple days, then."

"Of course, milady," he said softly, lifting his head only to offer her a smile. "I look forward to our next meeting. Good night." With that, he turned and left the room, doing his best not to sneer at the nearly ancient kendo master as he attempted to teach one of the palace guards a simple move. Pathetic. Ken knew he was above these people, yet he was still the one working for them. Someday he was sure that things would turn around and they would all bow before him. Someday soon.

In her room, Mimi sat back in her chair and sighed. Ken was not all that entertaining, especially when he started talking about technical stuff, like the workings of the palace heating system or the generator or something like that. She was often bored to tears when he talked, but she would endure him if it meant company. She couldn't stand being alone because that would mean resorting to talking to the palace guards. Even Palmon seemed to grow weary as Mimi did.

"What'll we do now, Mimi?" she asked. Mimi looked over at her, sadly. Even her flower was drooping. This was certainly not the best place for either of them.

"Oh, I don't know, Palmon," she sighed, sinking off her chair and onto the floor. "Ever since Ken started showing up I haven't really wanted to be here. I know he's trying his best, but it just isn't good enough!" Palmon could sense a temper tantrum a mile away and she knew that this was nowhere close. Still, it was best to brace herself, just in case. "Why do you think he's so boring? Is the outside world really that bad? Is it all electricity and generating and stuff like that?"

"I don't know, Mimi," Palmon admitted, sighing and sitting on the floor next to the princess, though careful not to sit on her dress. "I've never been to the outside world, so I don't really know what it's like either. Do you think it's full of a lot of Kens?"

"Oh, that would be horrible!" Mimi exclaimed, glancing over at her, bringing a hand to her lips in horror. "That would be so boring, I wouldn't know what to do with myself! But…" She paused and looked over at her only friend in the world, sighing softly. "Do you think maybe there would be other kinds of people out there?"

"You're not thinking of going out there, are you?" Palmon asked, easily able to interpret the princess' whims. This seemed like a fairly dangerous one, but if Mimi got it into her head that she was leaving the palace, Palmon was likely to be coming along for the ride.

"Of course I am," Mimi snapped. "How else are we supposed to make new friends? Maybe we could give everyone out there a better fashion sense. If they all dress like Ken, they're going to need it. Maybe I should bring along some dresses for them…" she hesitated, glancing over at Palmon, noting her rather skeptical look. "Or maybe we should dress down. Do you think we'd stand out too much like this?"

"I think so," Palmon told her. "Since Ken and Mr. Hida both look so drab, maybe we should dress that way too. We don't want people trying to steal our clothes, do we?"

"I most certainly do not!" Mimi exclaimed, again, seeming quite horrified. "Then it's settled! We'll find the grubbiest clothes we can find and head out tonight!" She smiled over at her friend. "Palmon, pack your bags!"

"Uhh… Mimi…"

"Oh, right. We probably shouldn't bring bags either," she stated before Palmon could. "Then we'll just get dressed and leave once daddy is asleep. I know how we can get around the guards."

"Oh, Mimi…" Palmon sighed, though she didn't argue. The truth of the matter was that she wanted to see the outside world too. She had never really seen other Digimon other than the ones in the palace. It might be a refreshing change. Mimi giggled a little bit and bounded off towards her room. Her Digimon partner, considerably less optimistic, followed her, very worried about the outcome of this whim. She didn't pretend to know what awaited them out there, and that was a bit of a problem. One thing was for sure, she didn't expect people to worship the princess as they did in here.

Mimi was not concerned with such things at the moment. The thought really didn't even cross her mind that people wouldn't take kindly to her. She always thought her father's policies were fair and that people liked them. That's what he told her anyhow. She wasn't particularly worried about how she would be received. The disguise was because she wanted to see how it would be to live like the commoners who she believed to worship her. She would find this idea to be very silly in the morning, but the lack of any real friends other than Palmon made her wonder if the peasants really did have it any better than she did in that regard. She would soon find out for, as she began to climb over the wall, something was taking place that she, nor any of the other kids could have imagined.

END CHAPTER ONE

A/N: At this point I will take the time to respond to the reviews I've received for the previous chapter. Thank you for reading and feedback is always appreciated!

_SugarSprial _– I'm so glad you like it! I've been worried about Tai's characterization, but I'm glad to see that you think I hit it spot on! Thanks for the review!

_Courage Sun_ – I'm glad you like it! I was hesitant to put the fic up, so thanks for the feedback!


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